Main Cathedral of Russian Armed Forces shall be built by voluntary charitable donations

Russian history, its independence forged in wars against foreign invaders, is closely related to the history of cathedrals, chapels,
memorial signs and orthodox architectural complexes built to pay tribute to defenders of the Fatherland.

The Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces shall be built to unite all Orthodox Christians serving in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
The great Cathedral complex is designed in monumental Russian Revival style. It will be located in the Patriot Park to symbolize spirituality of the Russian Armed Forces that unsheathe the sword only to defend its Fatherland.

Side Chapels

Each chapel is dedicated to a patron saint of a branch of the Russian Armed Forces

Saint Ilia the Prophet Side-Chapel

Saint Ilia the Prophet is the patron saint of Aerospace Forces and Airborne Troops

Saint Great Martyr Barbara Side-Chapel

Saint Great Martyr Barbara is the patron saint of Strategic Missile Forces

Saint Andrew the First-Called Apostle Side-Chapel

Saint Andrew the First-Called Apostle is the patron saint of the Russian Navy

Saint Alexander Nevsky Side-Chapel

Saint Alexander Nevsky is the patron saint of Land Forces

Multimedia Museum and Exhibition Complex«Russian Spiritual Army»

The Multimedia Museum and Exhibition Complex dedicated to the Russian Spiritual Army will be built in the territory of the Cathedral complex. It will house unique expositions dedicated to various episodes of heroic history of Russian army.

Guests will enter three-dimensional historical reenactment displayed on the walls in the halls. Incredible VR technologies will place visitors on the ice of the Lake Peipus in the middle of the Battle on the ice, inside an aircraft cockpit, at the heart of the naval Battle of Kerch Strait. Guest will walk along the Mercy hero gallery, and watch a movie in 360-degree movie theater.

ORTHODOX CHURCHES BUILT BY PUBLIC DONATIONS TO COMMEMORATE VICTORIES AND RUSSIAN MILITARY GLORY

Saint Martyrs Adrian and Natalia Church – Memorial to Defenders of Leningrad

By order of Emperor Aleksander I, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was erected in Moscow to perpetuate the victory in 1812 Patriotic War. It was built in 1839-1883 designed in Russian Revival style. It was the first time as the place of worship housed historical exposition. The cloister is decorated with boards and reliefs showing milestones of the 1812 War, boards with documents and fallen warrior names list.

Being demolished in 1931, it was later rebuilt in 1995-2000 by public charitable donations.

The Russian Memorial Church was erected in 1913 to commemorate Russian warriors who fought against Napoleon in the Battle of the Nations in 1813. It is designed as stone tent-shaped church of XVII century. There are boards on the walls engraved with fallen warrior names.

People started donating for the construction in 1907 both in Russia and Germany. On April 21 (May 4), 1910, a committee was established to organize building of the church. It was chaired by Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia. Leipzig local authorities granted 2.5ha of area on the outskirts of a large field where the battle had taken place in 1813.

The history of the cathedral starts with a visit Aleksander I in October 1825 to Sevastopol, when the Emperor proposed to perpetuate the great event in Russian history - the baptism of Grand Prince Vladimir. Preparatory work commenced in 1848. Three years later, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Lazarev, passed away. To pay tribute to his services, he was buried in a special crypt at the site of the future cathedral. The building has the status of the Museum of Heroic Defence and the Liberation of Sevastopol. Inside the cathedral, the names of officers awarded the Order of St. George are inscribed on the walls. Admirals Lazarev, Kornilov, Nakhimov, Istomin, Shestakov, Karpov, Perelyshin are buried there.

In July 1829, people across the country started donation for the cathedral as it was planned to finance construction by voluntary donations. The process lasted until 1832 and was renewed several times. Donations came from Russians representing different social strata.

The church is dedicated to St. Nicholas - the patron saint of sailors. It is a unique example of church architecture of the second half of the XIX century: a pyramid temple and a monument to the defenders of Sevastopol during the Crimean War. The complex includes a defensive underground tunnel system stretching from St. Nicholas to the Vladimir Church under the bottom of the Sevastopol Bay. Architect A.A. Avdeev chose the shape of the Egyptian pyramid. There are 56 plaques outside of the church with the names of the units that fought near Sevastopol. Interior design is decorated with boards engraved with the names of 943 fallen officers, generals and admirals.

In the post-war period, in 1856, Aleksander II supported the idea of ​​building a memorial church to pay tribute to all the heroes who fell in siege of the city in the Crimean War. The construction was financed by donations of philanthropists

The Chapel of Saint Blessed Prince Aleksander Nevsky was erected in Moscow on the Manezhnaya Square to commemorate warriors fallen in the Russian-Turkish war in 1877-1878. The Society for Encouraging Diligence in Moscow moved to establish a shelter for veterans of the Russian-Turkish War and an orphanage for children who lost their fathers in this war. The society also suggested that a chapel be built in honour of Emperor Aleksander III who personally participated in the war. Its hip-roof was decorated with plate armour and dome-shaped top with a cross. Four columns with double-headed eagles stood around the chapel.

Duke Dolgorukov chaired a commission to organize construction of the chapel in December 1879. They gathered 25,044 rubles of public charitable donations.

The Saint Aleksander Nevsky Cathedral was erected in 1882 – 1912 to commemorate Russian warriors fallen when liberating Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire. On both sides of the western entrance there are two plates with text in Russian and Bulgarian, stating that "this majestic cathedral was built and decorated according to the patriotic decision of the first National Assembly in Tyrnov on April 13, 1879, by voluntary donations made by people across Bulgaria to perpetuate its brotherly love and deep gratitude to the great Russian people for liberation of Bulgaria in 1878. "

There are also monuments built to pay tribute to warriors fallen in Russian-Turkish War: in Plovdiv (1881), the village of Garmen (Romania, 1888), the memorial cathedral on Shipka and the burial vault in San Stefano near Constantinople.

This monumental complex was erected by funds allocated from state treasury, contributions of major philanthropists, public donations. Besides, Prince Battenberg granted 6,000 gold leva.

The Memorial to Russian grenadiers fallen in the Battle of Plevna during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877 – 1878 was built in the Ilyinsky Park in Moscow. Plevna saw the fiercest clashes that were decisive for the outcome of the Russia-Turkish war. Outside on the walls of the memorial there are high reliefs and inscribed words of the Saviour.

As the battle of Plevna was over, it was decided to build a memorial to the fallen grenadiers. In a while, it was announced that voluntary donations were gathered at the Grenadier Corps.

The Preobrazhensky Cathedral was erected for Preobrazhensky Lifeguard Regiment in Moscow in 1743 – 1750. In honour of the victory in the Russian-Turkish war of 1829-1830, they built a fence made up of captured Turkish chained up cannons and twelve guns and two ‘unicorns’ were placed in front of the gates. The temple was blown up in 1964. The cathedral was restored and consecrated on May 8, 2015.

The church was built mainly by donations of the military.

The St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral was built for the Russian Navy in Saint Petersburg. In 1907 to commemorate sailors passed away during the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905, marble slabs were placed on the south wall of the cathedral. There is a granite obelisk erected in memory of a crew of the Russian Battleship Imperator Aleksandr III sunk at the Battle of Tsushima in 1905.

The Cathedral was built by public donations and funds allocated by the Naval Directorate.

Kronstadt Naval Cathedral is dedicated to the Russian Navy and seamen fallen in battles. It was erected in 1903 – 1913 in Kronstadt. Walls of the cloister are decorated with marble slabs showing the historical highlights of the Russian Navy.

The Cathedral was built by public donations and funds allocated by the Naval Directorate.

The Brest Hero Fortress Memorial complex was opened in 1971. It includes the St. Nicholas Church which was attached to the Brest Diocesan Administration in 1994. Annually on June 22 they make Divine Liturgy to commemorate all those died on this land.

It was built by donations made by many contributors, first of all by officers and sailors.

The Kursk Salient Memorial Complex was built in 1992-1995 at place of the largest tank battle on the Prokhorovka field. Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul is located in the memorial complex. Interior design of the cathedral is decorated with marble and 7,000 names of fallen warriors inscribed on the walls.

It was erected mainly by private donations.

The All Saints Church is part of the enormous Mamayev Kurgan memorial complex in Volgograd.

It was erected by public donations.

The Church commemorates several feats. Its history stretches back to 1651 when it was a small wooden parish church for the Streltsy units. However, they wanted to have a stone church. To get stones they had to excel at battles. As a result of their feats they achieved in Smolensk Campaign, the Tsar granted 100,000 bricks to them. Another 150,000 bricks they received from Alexey Mikhailovich when they caught Stepan Razin and took him to Moscow – these were used to build walls of the church. For their valour in Chigirinsky Campaign in 1678, the Streltsy received stones to build the Pokrovsky side chapel.

White-stone Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Malaya Okhta in St. Petersburg is dedicated to victims of Leningrad Siege. In four years of the war, residents of St. Petersburg collected and sent more than 18 bln roubles to the front line. The church was built from some 8,000 bricks engraved with the names of contributors.

The Cathedral of St. George the Victorious commemorating victims of the Great Patriotic War was built Saint Petersburg. In 1941-1944 there was a fall-back position (second defence line). Over 3,000 people of different generations participated in construction: pupils with their teachers, young cadets with commanders, elderly people with grandchildren. The church was laid down in 1994. They laid the earth from the sites of battles of the Great Patriotic War and the blockade cemeteries at the base of the altar wall. The stone church was erected in less than nine months by public donations.

A wooden church was built in honour of the Our Lady of Vladimir in first half of XVIII century for soldiers of the Kronstadt garrison regiment. For almost 100 years this church belonged to the Admiralty Board. In 1826 it was signed off to Defence Department. In 1902 by decree of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church it received the status of the cathedral. In 1917 the cathedral was closed.

The Nazis had broken into Ligovo on September 13, 1941. A forward defence line laid across Staro-Panovo village. Some 4,000 Russian soldiers passed away over a fortnight during fierce battles in 1942. Not all the names of the fallen soldiers are known. A new church was built close to the place of the old church destroyed during the war. The new church became a memorial to the fallen and missed in action defenders of Leningrad.